Service providing system, information processing method, and non-transitory recording medium

Abstract

A service providing system is for providing a service that is in cooperation with a printing service that is provided by an external printing system. The service providing system includes a job obtaining unit configured, when receiving from the printing system a notification representing that a print job is created by the printing service, to obtain the print job from the printing system; a job managing unit configured to store, in a job storage unit, the print job obtained by the job obtaining unit; and a job transmitting unit configured to transmit the print job stored in the job storage unit in response to a print job request from an image forming apparatus that is coupled to the service providing system via a network.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A service providing system for providing a service that is in cooperation with a printing service that is provided by an external printing system to cause an image forming apparatus to execute printing, the external printing system being configured to receive a print request from a terminal apparatus to create a print job, the service providing system, the image forming apparatus, and the external printing system being structured by respective different apparatuses, the image forming apparatus and the service providing system being coupled to each other via a network and arranged at different locations, the service providing system and the external printing system being coupled to each other via the network and arranged at different locations, the service providing system comprising:
 a memory; and 
 a processor that is coupled to the memory and that is configured to 
 receive from the external printing system a notification representing that the print job is created by the printing service based on the print request from the terminal apparatus, the print request including data to be printed, the print job being created in the external printing system; 
 upon receiving from the external printing system the notification, obtain the print job from the external printing system via the network; 
 store, in the memory, the print job obtained; 
 receive a print job request from the image forming apparatus; and 
 transmit, to the image forming apparatus, the print job stored in the memory in response to receiving the print job request from the image forming apparatus, to cause the image forming apparatus to print the data included in the print job on a sheet. 
 
     
     
       2. The service providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to
 generate unique code information, 
 store, in the memory, the obtained print job in association with the code information generated, and 
 transmit the print job, stored in the memory in association with the code information, in response to the print job request designating the code information from the image forming apparatus. 
 
     
     
       3. The service providing system according to  claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to
 verify validity of the code information designated by the print job request, and 
 transmit the print job, stored in the memory in association with the code information, in a case where a verification result represents that the code information designated by the print job request is valid. 
 
     
     
       4. The service providing system according to  claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to
 transmit, to an e-mail address designated in advance, the code information generated. 
 
     
     
       5. The service providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to
 upon receiving the notification, obtain a job list that represents a list of print jobs, and 
 obtain, from the external printing system, at least one unexecuted print job listed in the job list obtained. 
 
     
     
       6. The service providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein, upon receiving an execution state of the print job from the image forming apparatus, the processor is configured to store, in the memory, the execution state in association with the print job. 
     
     
       7. The service providing system according to  claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit at least one print job of print jobs stored in the memory, the job execution state of the at least one print job being either an unexecuted state that represents the print job is unexecuted, or an interrupted state that represents execution of the print job is interrupted. 
     
     
       8. The service providing system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, upon receiving from the image forming apparatus page information representing a printed page of print data included in the print job, the processor is configured to store, in the memory, the page information in association with the print job, and 
 wherein the processor is configured to transmit the print job, stored in the memory, and the page information, stored in the memory in association with the print job, in response to the print job request from the image forming apparatus. 
 
     
     
       9. The service providing system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the memory stores account information for using the printing service and user information, which is issued by the service providing system, in association with each other; and 
 wherein the processor is configured, in response to a use request from the terminal apparatus or the image foiuiing apparatus that is coupled to the service providing system via the network, to store, in the memory, the user information, included in the use request, and the account information, input in a screen displayed on the terminal apparatus or the image forming apparatus by the printing service, in association with each other. 
 
     
     
       10. The service providing system according to  claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit, in response to the print job request from the image forming apparatus, the print job of the printing service that is able to be used by the account information stored in the memory in association with the user information included in the print job request. 
     
     
       11. The service providing system according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the printing service further provides a scan service, 
 wherein the memory stores a scan job, created by the scan service, in association with the user information and identification information on the printing service, and 
 wherein the processor is configured to transmit, in response to a scan job request from the image forming apparatus, the scan job, stored in association with the user information included in the scan job request and with the identification information on the printing service, to the image forming apparatus that is a request source. 
 
     
     
       12. The service providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to
 generate code information, 
 store, in the memory, the print job in association with the code information, and 
 transmit the code information to a user apparatus the terminal apparatus, 
 wherein the print job request is transmitted, from the image forming apparatus to the service providing system, upon the code information being input by a user on a screen displayed on the image forming apparatus. 
 
     
     
       13. The service providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to
 display on the image forming apparatus a list of print jobs associated with a user who logs into the service providing system from the image forming apparatus, and 
 transmit a print job, selected by the user from the print jobs included in the list, to the image forming apparatus to cause the image forming apparatus to print data included in the print job selected by the user. 
 
     
     
       14. The service providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the print job is not created in the service providing system but created in the external printing system. 
     
     
       15. The service providing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to
 register user identification information in advance, and 
 transmit the user identification information to the external printing system to obtain the print job corresponding to the user identification information from the external printing system, the user identification information being information for identifying a user in the external printing system. 
 
     
     
       16. The service providing system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, when the image forming apparatus starts to execute the print job, the processor receives, from the image forming apparatus, a job execution notification of a job state that represents that the print job enters an executing sate, and 
 upon receiving the job execution notification, the processor stores the job state in association with the print job so as not to transmit the print job when receiving, from another image forming apparatus, a request for executing the print job. 
 
     
     
       17. The service providing system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processor is configured to 
 generate a unique code for executing the print job; 
 store, in the memory, the print job in association with the unique code; 
 transmit the unique code to the terminal apparatus; and 
 transmit, to the image forming apparatus, the print job stored in the memory in response to receiving, from the image forming apparatus, the print job request including the unique code input to the image forming apparatus, to cause the image forming apparatus to print the data included in the print job on the sheet, 
 wherein when the print job is stopped before the image forming apparatus normally finishes the print job, the processor receives, from the image forming apparatus, a notification of a job state that represents that the print job is stopped, and 
 wherein upon receiving the notification of the job state, the processor stores the job state in association with the print job so as to allow to transmit the print job when receiving, from another image forming apparatus, a request, including the unique code input to said another image forming apparatus, to cause said image forming apparatus to print the data included in the print job. 
 
     
     
       18. The service providing system according to  claim 17 , wherein the print request transmitted from the terminal apparatus to the external printing system does not include information for an image forming apparatus by which the print job is to be executed. 
     
     
       19. An information processing method that is used by a service providing system including a memory and a processor for providing a service that is in cooperation with a printing service that is provided by an external printing system to cause an image forming apparatus to execute printing, the external printing system being configured to receive a print request from a terminal apparatus to create a print job, the service providing system, the image forming apparatus, and the external printing system being structured by respective different apparatuses, the image forming apparatus and the service providing system being coupled to each other via a network and arranged at different locations, the service providing system and the external printing system being coupled to each other via the network and arranged at different locations, the information processing method comprising:
 receiving from the external printing system a notification representing that the print job is created by the printing service based on the print request from the terminal apparatus, the print request including data to be printed, the print job being created in the external printing system; 
 obtaining, upon receiving from the external printing system the notification, the print job from the external printing system via the network; 
 storing the obtained print job in the memory; 
 receiving a print job request from the image forming apparatus; and 
 transmitting, to the image forming apparatus, the print job stored in the memory in response to the print job request from the image forming apparatus, to cause the image forming apparatus to print the data included in the print job on a sheet. 
 
     
     
       20. A non-transitory recording medium storing a program that causes a service providing apparatus including a memory and a processor for providing a service that is in cooperation with a printing service that is provided by an external printing system to execute processing, the external printing system being configured to receive a print request from a terminal apparatus to create a print job, the service providing system, the image forming apparatus, and the external printing system being structured by respective different apparatuses, an image forming apparatus and the service providing apparatus being coupled to each other via a network and arranged at different locations, the service providing system and the external printing system being coupled to each other via the network and arranged at different locations, the processing comprising:
 receiving from the external printing system a notification representing that the print job is created by the printing service based on the print request from the terminal apparatus, the print request including data to be printed, the print job being created in the external printing system; 
 obtaining, upon receiving from the external printing system the notification, the print job from the external printing system via the network; 
 storing the obtained print job in the memory; 
 receiving a print job request from the image forming apparatus; and 
 transmitting, to the image forming apparatus, the print job stored in the memory in response to the print job request from the image forming apparatus, to cause the image forming apparatus to print the data included in the print job on a sheet.